CONS Synonyms: 217 Similar and Opposite Words

cons 1 of 4

noun (1)

Definition of cons next

plural of con

as in prisoners

a person convicted as a criminal and serving a prison sentence a program to help ex-cons find employment

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cons

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural of con

as in scams

an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value the explanation was so plausible that I never suspected it was all a con to make off with my car

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cons

3 of 4

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of con

as in studies

to commit to memory usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in reviews

to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition) seemed to be conning his face for any sign of uncertainty

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cons

4 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of con

as in hustles

to rob by the use of trickery or threats a fly-by-night operator who had conned hundreds of would-be homeowners out of their hard-earned money

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as in tricks

to cause to believe what is untrue tried to con me into thinking that he had actually won the lottery

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cons

Noun

What are the cons of investing in gold? —

Liz Knueven, CNBC, 3 June 2026 Martinez disagrees with Crookes’ assertion that the device’s benefits outweigh its cons. —

O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 1 June 2026 Ahead, laundry experts break down the pros and cons of pods versus liquid detergent, including which cleans better, which is more eco-friendly, and the common mistakes to avoid with both. —

Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 1 June 2026 Being petite has its pros (more leg room on an airplane) and cons (not being able to reach something on the top shelf), and finding clothes that actually flatter your figure can be one of the latter. —

Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026 Further research is needed to compare the pros and cons of top-dressing tomato plants with coffee grounds. —

Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 May 2026 Showing Claude and Danny weighing the pros and cons of parenthood while Ginny struggles to cope with single motherhood is a fun contrast. —

Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 28 May 2026 The tenets of Brind’Amour’s system — the pros and the cons, real and perceived — have been picked apart, reassembled and picked apart again for the better part of a decade. —

Sean Gentille, New York Times, 28 May 2026 All the mod-cons of the highest end hotels are here, while the bed has a comfort level that is usually reserved only for your own one at home. —

Jamie Timson, TheWeek, 27 May 2026

Verb

Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish. —

Literary Hub, 19 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cons

Noun

Most of these prisoners had committed relatively minor offenses like petty theft, but because of prison overcrowding in Great Britain, they were transferred to Australia to do manual labor like building roads, farming, construction, etc.

— AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 30 May 2026
Six Hawaiian prisoners were indicted last year in the May 2024 homicide of another prisoner, with five of the men being charged with first-degree murder, the news outlet reported.

— Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2026